Students who participate in sports can tell you that being involved in a sports team isn’t always your typical rainbows and sunshine, but rather it can be exhausting and tiring. Students involved with sports in high school can clearly see that it has its negatives and positive impacts.

There are several positive effects if you can balance out both school and sports, such as obtaining higher self-confidence and esteem, which is shown through numerous studies. Not only does it affect student’s self-confidence and esteem, but it also develops their time management and social skills, along with improving their health by constantly being active, student-athletes are also less prone to 

interact with drugs and drinking.

Although there are numerous benefits of being involved in sports, there are also many negative aspects that come along with it. Studies have shown that lack of proper nutrition is more prominent among females and are also at a higher risk for depression. While males on the other hand have a higher chance of using performance enhancers/substance abuse to drastically improve their athletic abilities and performance. Although this is not as apparent among high school students, it is very commonly used and talked about around young college athletes.

Although these negative aspects are strong, there are still multiple methods that can outweigh them. People can manage to have a proper diet and stick to it to reduce the lack of proper nutrition, and can also work on balancing their social life along with their personal life to decrease the risk of depression. Males can instead enhance their athletic abilities by using more ethical and legal resources such as practicing more which can further develop their athletic skills. 

Some and a variety of student-athletes were interviewed throughout the CNUSD district about their partake in sports. Many stated they had to work on or develop their time management skills because sports took the majority of their time away from social interaction and completing school work. When asked, “How has being involved in sports affect your life negatively”? Jayden Colapinto a soccer player attending Santiago High School responded, “It comes with many sacrifices and unselfishness because you know whatever actions you take can affect everyone else.”

Every single interviewed athlete stated that they would never quit playing the sport they love when asked, “If you can go back in time to stop playing, would you”? 

This shows that while they’re aware of the multiple negative effects of being incorporated in a sport for their school, they would never trade it up for anything, even if they were given the chance to go back in time and change it.

Now that we’ve listed the many negative aspects of being involved in sports, we can say the positive tend to outweigh them. High school athletes are aware of the negative effects and have always looked into the brighter side of things. Being involved in sports has affected each of them in numerous ways, and they can’t just quit now, even when presented the chance because sports for many is an escape and a “drug” to relieve us from stress.